Motor control system



' Dec. 10, 194?.

L. A. UMANSKY MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM Filed June 17, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor": Leonid A Umansk Dec 10, 1940. L. A. UMANSKY vMOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM Filed June 17, 1939 Fi 2. WIDE OP EN S Q 7 2* A Z&

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Leonid A. Umanslw,

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Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM Leonid A. Umansky, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 17, 1939, Serial No. 279,768 7 Claims. (Cl. 172-239) My invention relates to a control system for an gram of control as determined by the stops electric motor arranged to be rotated successiveshown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 4 is an elevaticnal ly to a plurality of predetermined positions, and view of the handle of the master switch posihas for its object the provision of a simple, tioned against astop. accurate and reliable control of the motor. Referring to Fig. l, I have shown my inven- My invention is particularly useful in contion in one form as applied to the control of a nection with rolling mills, wherein a billet or motor I 0 arranged to drive through the gears II slab of steel is arranged to be repeatedly passed the lowering and elevating mechanism of one through the mill until the slab or billet has been roll of a rolling mill Ila or the like. Preferably,

rolled down to the required size. This has genlowering and elevating mechanism is provided 10 erally been accomplished by running a slab at both ends of the roll and is tied to a single through the mill with the opening between the motor. In the drawing to conserve space, I have rollers adjusted so that they will operate to reshown only one end of the roll and mechanism. duce the size of the slab a predetermined A separately excited field winding lfla provides 5 amount. It is desirable, therefore, when a large excitation for the motor, while the armature quantity of material is to be rolled in the same of the motor III is arranged to be selectively way, to provide for automatic adjustment of the energized from direct current supply lines I2 and rolls for each successive pass. I3 by means of an up-direction contactor I4 and It is a further object of my invention to proa down-direction contactor I5. The acceleratvide a master control means for the control ing contactors I6, I1 and I8 serve to accelerate system, whereby a program of sequentially conthe motor to its full speed in either direction of trolled operations of the motor is predetermined. rotation. For slow speed operation, in addition In carrying out my invention in one form to the accelerating resistors I9, 20 and 2|, the thereof, I provide for variable speed control of resistance 22 is arranged to be connected in the screw-down motor, the speed of the motor shunt with the armature of the motor III by a 25 at a given time being dependent upon the relacontactor 23. A pair of relays 25 and 26 are tive position of the roll with respect to a searranged to selectively control the energization lected roll setting. More specifically, I provide of the direction switches I4 and I5.

a master control means for adjusting 3, p111- To control the operation of the motor III for 30 rality of positioning means including a coarse driving the l a 1D d a p ed 30 control and a vernier control for the screwposition, a control system similar to that dedown motor so that the motor may be operated scribed in U. S. Patent No. 1,925,881, T. R. Rhea by the coarse control at a high speed to drive and Wm. B. Snyder, dated September 5, 1933,

the roll to a predetermined distance from a is used. This system is of t e 0 D p desired setting; the vernier control thereafter in which a p d m d an u ar movement of functioning to decelerate the motor and to cause the control element, here shown as the master the motor to operate at low speed to drive the roll control element or handle 21 of the master switch to its predetermined position, thereby insuring effects a related p t o of the motor n great accuracy in the positioning of the roll. to drive the roll No to the position selected.

40 In addition, an adjustable program determining During the first portion of the operation of the means for the sequential operation of the masm r I0 to h pre d position. it is nter control element is provided for predetermintrolled by a coarse control switch 29 and is acceling the successive control position of the master erated to a high speed by the shunting out of the control element, thereby enabling the prederesistances I9, 20 and 2|, until the selected positermination of roll spacing during the successive tion of the roll He is approached. Thereafter, a 45 passes of a complete rolling operation. vernier control switch 30 takes over and the For a more complete understanding of my motor IIlis decelerated by means of the resistinvention reference should be had to the drawances I9, 20 and 2| and by the connection of ings in which Fig. 1 diagrammatically illustrates the resistance 22 in shunt with the armature a control system embodying my invention; Fig. 2 circuit. In this manner, and as will be described 5 is a schematic view of the cover plate of a more fully hereinafter, the roll Ila is brought master switch showing its stops positioned for to the selected position with great accuracy.

a typical program of sequential control; Fig. 3 The program master switch 28, which will be is a pass schedule diagrammatically illustrating described hereinafter more fully in connection the angular position of a billet during the prowith program or sequential control of successive 55 roll passes, is equipped with a forked operating lever 3| comprising two radial bars 32 and a connecting cross bar 33, the lower end of the radial bars being secured to a rotatable shaft 34 supported by the brackets 35 so that the forked operating lever 3| straddles the master switch 28. The master control handle 21 is mounted on the cross bar 33 and is angularly movable across the arcuately shaped upper face 36 of the master switch 28 for controlling the position of the upper roll Ila. As will be described, this roll follows the angular movements of the master control handle 21. The master control handle is slidable along the cross bar 33 successively to a number of positions corresponding to the number of passes in a program of operation. Preferably, the notches 31 are provided on the cross bar 33 to aid the operator in positioning the handle for each successive pass. As seen in Figs. 1 and 4, the lower portion of the master control handle 21 abuts on a selected one of the various limiting stops 38 on the upper face 36 of the master switch 28. Each of the stops 38 serves to limit the clockwise rotation of the forked lever 3| and the control handle 21 and thereby predetermine a program of control positions for the master switch 28 easily followed by the operator. Obviously the number of passes required for a complete program of operation will determine the number of stops 38 and corresponding notches 31 needed, and, therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular showing in the drawings. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. l, the upper face 36 of the master switch 28 is an arcuate plate from which the stops 38 project. If desired, the stops 38 may be individually adjustable for setting up a particular program of operation or, preferably, may comprise an integral templet which is replaceable by another templet designed with its stops positioned for a different program. -To avoid undue complication, these features have not been indicated in the drawings since they are thought to be obvious to one skilled in the art.

The control motion of the control handle 21 is transmitted to a gear segment 33 secured to the left end of the shaft 34 and to a gear 43 meshed with the gear segment 33. A shaft 4| carries the gear 46 and also a large gear 42 which is meshed with a smaller gear 43 secured on a shaft 44. The gear ratio between the large gear 42 and the small gear 43 may be 10:1 or a similar suitable value. A small D. C. torque motor 45 is also connected to the shaft 44 at its left end and the function of this motor as a biasing element for the control handle 21 will become apparent from the description below.

At the extreme left end of each of the shafts 4| and 44 are provided the contact arms 46 and 41 respectively. The contact arm 46 is in sliding contact with the rotatable coarse control disc 23 mounted on a shaft 43. Likewise, the contact arm 41 rides on the rotatable vernier control disc 33 secured on a shaft 43. The control discs 23 and 33 are substantially identical and comprise the center strips of insulating material 53 and respectively,- joining the segments 52 and 53, and 54 and 55, whose function will later become apparent. The contact discs 23 and 33 are connected respectively to the gears 56 and 51 having a gear ratio identical to that of the gears 42 and 43, namely :1, or other suitable value. The gear 66 is secured to the shaft 48 and the gear 51 is secured to the shaft I 43, the gears being meshed together.

For rotating the shafts 43 and 43 in accordance with the rotation of the screw-down motor In, a motion transmitting device 58 and a motion receiving device 53 are provided. Electrical motion transmitting devices of the type shown are now being marketed under the trade name Selsyn and are described in U. S. Patent No. 1,637,039, E. M. Hewlett, dated July 26, 1927, and in this description will be briefly described by saying that each of these devices is provided with a poly-circuit stator winding with the rator having a single circuit field winding. The rotor windings are arranged to be energized from a suitable source of alternating current supply as indicated by the supply line 66. Suitable gears 6| connect the screw-down motor In to the motion transmitting device 58 which in turn transmits its motion electrically to the motion receiving device 53 in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The motion receiving device 53 is attached to the. left end of the shaft 43 for driving this shaft.

With the above understanding of the elements included in this embodiment of my invention, the operation of the system itself and the manner in which the master control handle 21 accurately controls the operation of the motor II) will be readily understood from the description which follows:

It will be assumed that the supply lines I2 and I3 are suitably energized and that the master control element or handle 21 has been moved from this starting position at the extreme left of the face plate 36 in a clockwise direction to the predetermined control position determined by the selected one of the stops 38 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. Consequently, the contact arm 46 is rotated through a predetermined angle in a counter-clockwise direction from its former position on the insulatingstrlp 53 of the disc 23. This counter-clockwise rotation of the contact arm 46 is transmitted from the handle 21 through the gears 33 and 43 and the shaft 4|, and inasmuch as the vernier control contact arm 41 is also geared to the shaft 4| through the gears 42 and 43, the contact arm 41 is rotated in a clockwise direction through an angle, the magnitude of which depends upon the ratio of the gears 42 and 43.

It will be-observed that as soon as the conr tact arm 46 is rotated into engagement with the conducting segment 52, an energizing circuit is completed for a relay 62. This circuit may be traced from the supply line 3 by, conductors 63.

and 64, the sliding contacts 65, the left end of the shaft 4|, the contact arm 46, the segment 52, the conducting bar 66, the sliding contacts 61, operating coil of relay 62, and by conductors 68 and 63 to the other supply line l2. The relay 62 thereupon operates to close its normally open contacts 13, serving to complete an energizing circuit for the relay 26 which in turn will operate the contactor l5 for energizing and operating screw-down motor Ill. The circuit for energizing and operating the relay 26 may be traced from the supply line |2 through the conductors 63, 68, and 1| through the contacts 13, the conductor 12, operating coil of the relay 26, conductors 13, 14 and to the other supply line 13. From this point on, reference should be had to U. S. Patent 1,925,881, T. R. Rhea and W. B. Snyder, dated September 5, 1933, wherein the subsequent operation of the relays I5, l6, l1, l8

and 23 for accelerating and decelerating the motor I and subsequently applying a brake I6 is clearly described.

Briefly, the relay 26 operates the down-direction relay l5 to its closed position to energize the motor II. The motor l6 thereupon rotates at low speed in the direction to decrease the opening between the rollers. After a short interval of time, the time interval contacts 11 operated with the relay 26 are closed to energize the first accelerating contactor IS. The accelerating contactor l6 thereupon operates to its closed position to short circuit the first accelerating resistor l6 from the armature circuit of the motor l6. After a short interval of time, the time delay contacts 16, operated with the accelerating contactor l6, are closed to complete an energizing circuit for the second accelerating contactor H. A short interval of time after the contactor I 1 has short circuited the second accelerating resistor 26, the time delay contacts 16, operated with the-contactor H, are closed to complete the energizing circuit for the third accelerating contactor l6. The third accelerating contactor I6 is thereupon operated to short circuit the third accelerating resistor 2| from the armature circuit of the motor l6. The motor now accelerates to its full speed and continues to operate at full speed until the conducting segment 52 has been driven through the gears 6|, the motion transmitting and receiving devices 56 and 59, the gears 51 and 56, and the shaft 46 in a counter-clockwise direction through the predetermined angle through which the contact arm 46 was previously moved.

Due to this differential operation, the contact arm 46 will then occupy a position between the conducting segments 52 and 53 on the insulating strip 56. As soon as the insulating strip 56 interrupts the energizing circuit of the relay 62, this relay immediately operates to open its contact 16 to release the relays 26 and IS. The down-direction contactor I5 is not de-energized, however, as a holding circuit is completed for its operating coil by means of the conducting segment 55 of the vernier control member 36. The holding circuit for the down-direction switch 15 is completed through the contacts 66 of a relay 6i which is energized by a circuit which may be traced from the supply line iii, the conductor 63, the sliding contacts 62, the left end of the shaft 66, the contact arm 61, the conducting segment 55, the conducting bar 63, the sliding contacts 66, the holding coil of the relay 6| and by the conductors and 69 to the other supply line I 2. The holding circuit for the down-direction switch l5 may be traced from the supply line l2 by the conductor 69 and the conductor 65 through the contacts 66 of the relay 6|, a conductor 66, the interlock contacts 61 of the down-direction relay ll, a conductor 88. the operating coil of the relay I 5 and by a conductor 69 to the other supply line l3.

It will, therefore, be observed that the opening of the relay 62 serves to transfer the control of the motor l6 from the coarse control disc 29 to the vernier control disc 36.

Continuing with the operation, it will be observed that as the relay 62 and therefore relay 26 is operated to open circuit position, the contactor 23 is operated to its closed position to connect the resistance 22 in shunt with the armature ofthe motor I 6. Inasmuch as the relay 26 in opening its contacts de-energizes the accelerating contactors I6, I! and I6, it will be seen that the inclusion of the resistances I9. 26

and 2| in series with' the armature of the motor l6 and the establishment of the shunt connection through the resistance 22, brakes the motor to a very low speed. The motor I. continues its low speed operation, drives the roll to the position determined by the setting of the vernier control disc 36. Continued rotation of the motor will ultimately drive the vernier control disc 36 in a clockwise direction to a position where its insulating strip 6| is in register with the contact arm 61. Thereupon, the energizing circuit to the relay 6| is broken, and its contacts 66 open to de-energize the operating coil of the down-direction switch l5, which in turn de-energizes the motor I6. Consequent to the opening of the down-direction switch IS, the motor is de-energized and the brake 13 set to hold the roll of the rolling mill Ila in its predetermined position. The adjustment of the roll for the first pass has now been completed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the disclosure of U. 8. Patent 1,925,881, it should now be evident that the control system described is inherently of the followup type, self-centering and self-correcting. In other words, the roll Ila will always assume a position corresponding to the position of the master control element or handle 2". When handle 21 is rotated clockwise, the roll Ila moves downwardly a proportional distance as described. When the handle 24 is rotated counter-clockwise, the roll Ha moves upwardly, the up-direction switch I being controlled through the relay 25 for controlling the motor I6. In this manner, the roll may be said to follow the handle.

In rolling mill operations it is often desired to perform a series of successive operations on a billet in a sequential order which constitutes a given rolling program. To this end, it is desirable to provide means for setting up a predetermined control sequence which may quickly and accurately be followed by the operator. Referring to Fig. 1, as was previously described, the master control handle 21 whose angular movement is followed by the roll Ila is slidable along the cross bar 33 a suitable distance depending upon the number of passes in the rolling-program. For purposes of illustration, l5 definite positions or notches 31 are provided on the cross bar 36 so as to definitely locate the handle for any number of passes up to 15. If the maximum number of passes for which the control switch 26 is arranged is 15, then there will be 15 stops 36 properly set on the surface of the cylindrical plate 36. The development of this plate is illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein 13 stops are shown for an illustrative program comprising 13 passes. The master control handle 21, located at any of the 15 notches along the cross bar 36, can be moved clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1 or downwardly as viewed in Fig. 2 only as far as the corresponding stop permits. In Fig. 2 the handle 21 is illustrated by the arrow A and the corresponding stop by the letter B. The greater the roll opening desired for any given pass, the farther away the stop is set from the top or forward edge of the plate corresponding to this pass. In other words, the plate 36 with its stop 36 will serve as a convenient positioning templet which the operator will follow with his master control switch handle 2! whenever the position of the roll Ha is to be changed. For instance, the heavy line in Fig. 2 shows in a reduced scale however, and

v the up and.down" movement of the roll Ila.

An additional provision is made to assist the operator in moving the handle 31 o! the master control switch 33 to insure that the latter will always be biased against the proper stop 38. For this purpose, the small D. C. torque motor 45 is continuously connected through the gears 43, 42, 49 and 39 to the iorked lever 3| and the handle 21. A field winding for the motor 45 is connected across the supply lines l2 and I3 through the conductors 93 and 69. The armature circuit of the motor 45 traced from the supply line l3 includes the conductor 63, the current limiting resistor 9|. the armature of the motor 45, the conductor 92, a hand-operated, spring-biased, bridging contact 93 on the handle 21, the fixed contacts 94 on the handle 21 and extends through a conductor 95 and the condoctor 69 to the other supply line l2. As best seen in Fig. 4, when the operator properly grips the handle 21, he will open the bridging contact 93 from the fixed contacts 94 and automatically de-energize the torque motor 45. This removes the normal bias of the motor on the handle 21 and makes it easy to move the handle as desired. However, as soon as the operator releases the handle 21, the torque motor 45 is automatically energized by closure of the contacts 93 and 94, and the handle 21 is again biased against the selected stop B as indicated by. the

arrow A in Fig. 2 and as shown in Fig. 4. Thus, arranged as shown, the torque motor 45 is equivalent to an electrical spring return for the handle 21 which may be made eflective or ineffective at the operator's will.

Fig. 2 shows an illustrative program templet cover for rolling a 16%" by 45%" ingot to a 4" x 36" slab in 13 passes. In the starting position the handle 21 will be notched along the bar 33 to the extreme left end of the bar in alignment with the stop for pass I. Referring to Fig. 2, the handle is moved from the extreme upper position which corresponds to the wide open position of the rolls, downwardly into abutting relation with the first stop for pass I. This downward movement,or as viewed in Fig. 1, a clockwise movement of the handle 21 is eflected by the torque motor 45 upon release of the bridging contact lever 93 which is spring biased to the contact-closed position. Immediately the torque motor 45 is energized and the handle 2! moved against the first stop as illustrated in Fig. 4.. The handle 21 is then in its predetermined control position for the first pass, and through the follow-up system previously described, the roll Ila is operated by the motor i9 downwardly to a corresponding position. The first pass 0! the billet through the rolls may now proceed.

Upon completion of the first pass and while the billet is being manipulated for the second pass, the operator moves the handle 21 to the second of the notches 31. During this adjustment, the torque motor 45 is de-energized at the contacts 93 and 94. Upon release of the handle, the contacts 93 and 94 are re-engaged and the torque motor acts to move and bias the handle 21 against thesecond oi the stops 38. The roll Ha is then positioned accordingly for the second pass.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the angular position of the billet may be changed from vertical to horizontal for some of the passes comprising the program. Even in this case where considerable change from one roll position to another is required, for instance in passnumber 5, the steps the control switch 28, as many rolling schedules that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. The combination in a control system having driving means for moving a member to a plurality of positions between predetermined limits of control means for said driving means including a master control element movable to any one of a plurality of positions, and a limit switch having a normally inactive position and movable from said inactive position to an active position in response to said movement of said control element thereby to effect a related movement of said driving means thereby to correspondingly position said movable member, means actuated by said driving means for restorin said limit switch to said inactive position as said movable member approaches a position of correspondence with said control element, and means for predetermining a program of sequential control positions to which said master control element is movable.

2. The combination in a control system having driving means for moving a member to a plurality of positions between predetermined limits of control means for said driving means including a master control element movable to eiieot a related movement of said driving means thereby to correspondingly position said movable member, means for predetermining a program of sequential control positions to which said master control element is movable, and biasing means for normally restraining said master control element in said sequential control positions. 3. The combination in a control system having driving means for moving a member to a plurality of positions between predetermined limits of control plurality of positions between predetermined limits of control means for said driving means including a master control element movable to ef-.

feet a related movement of said driving means thereby to correspondingly position said movable member, means for predetermining a program of sequential control positions to which said master control element is movable, means including I means for said driving means including a master control elea motor for moving said master control element toward a predetermined one oi said sequential control positions and for biasing said master control element in said predetermined position, and switching means for deenergizing said biasing motor to remove its bias from said master control element.

5. The combination in a control system having driving means for moving a driven member to a plurality of positions between predetermined limits of control means for said driving means including a movable master control element, means including a plurality of stops against which said master control element may be positioned for predetermining a program of sequential control positions to which said master control element is 6. The combination in a control system havin driving means for moving a member to a plurality of positions between predetermined limits 01' control means for said driving means including a master control element movable to efiect a related movement of said driving means thereby to correspondingly position said movable member,

7. In combination with a material modifying apparatus, a reversible electric motor, means for controlling the energization of said motor for forward and reverse operations, positioning means having a movable control element movable to predetermine the direction and extent of operation of said motor to a plurality of positions, means for predetermining a plurality of positions to which said control element is movable includ ing a stop for each of said positions, and means for biasing said control element against said stops.

LEONID A. UMANSKY. 

